Reality and Illusion
by VashandNaomiForever
Summary: Kiba wakes up to find that everything he had been through was nothing more than a science experiment. Chapter 7 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Reality and Illusion

Disclaimer: Wolf's Rain is not mine.

Kiba had woken up to bright lights stinging his eyes; the smell of antiseptic filled the air. "Where am I?"

"You've just woken up from the simulation" the man in a lab coat told him.

"Simulation?" Kiba didn't quite understand.

"You volunteered to be a test subject for a project we've been working on. It's a simulation of a completely alternate life. It's as if you start out your life all over again, believing everything is real." The scientist explained.

"Wait, does that mean all the others weren't real?"

"That's the strange part, you were all supposed to have your own separate worlds, yet all of the subjects minds linked into one. That's never happened before." The scientist mused.

"So there are others who went through this?"

"Yes, though due to privacy policies, we aren't allowed to give you any names."

Taking all this in, Kiba for the life of him could remember nothing about this place, this new reality. He only knew that he was a wolf and searching for paradise. That had to be true still! He felt the same as he always had, yet when he looked at his own body all he saw was the illusion, the human. Try as he might, he couldn't see his true form, the wolf.

"I don't remember any of this." Kiba told the man.

"A mere side effect, don't worry I'm sure it will come with time, we'll find your address and send you home."

After that, Kiba was released into the world he knew nothing of. He followed the address the scientist had given him, to a bakery. When he entered, never in a million years did he imagine seeing _her _again.

The pretty girl with short brown hair was opening an oven to put a batch of cookies in when she heard the door open.

"Welcome!" She began with her cheery voice as she shut the door and turned to her visitor. The two people's eyes met one another for a long time, until finally she rushed to him. Her arms wrapped around Kiba, eyes streaming happy tears.

"I missed you so much! Two weeks without you felt like a century!" Her brilliant smile sparkled up at him.

"Myu? Is it really you?" Kiba asked, not believing his eyes. In the other world she'd been but a dead spirit. He'd felt so close to her then; never had he opened up to another like he had with her.

"Of course it's me, silly!" She giggled as she tipped toed and kissed him softly on the mouth. Kiba took his arms and embraced her back, leaning into her warm kiss. "Myu, I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered to her, this whole thing still feeling completely unreal.

Myu reached her hand out and stroked his hair, "You're home Kiba." She smiled tenderly as she kissed him once more.

"It has been hectic here without you! I needed my handy delivery boy so badly, not to mention my bed's been way too empty lately." She laughed as she released him and just simply held his hand.

Kiba stared at her, not really knowing what to say. Myu seemed to notice her boyfriend was slightly out of it.

"So how was the whole guanine pig for science thing?" She asked.

"I can't really remember much, of anything. All the things I did weren't real." He shook his head, "I'm sorry but you'll have to give me some time to get a hold of everything. I don't even know what my job is here."

Myu stared at him, worried frown on her face, "I told you not to go, but you said we could use the money. Which by the way, did they even pay you for being their lab rat?"

Kiba felt around in his pocket and pulled out two hundred dollar bills. "You know your health is more important than any amount of money. You're lucky it's just memory you've lost and not an appendage!" She vented, grudgingly taking the money he handed her and putting it away.

"As for what you do here, basically I bake, with occasional help from you, and then you deliver to people all around the city."

"That might get a little tricky with my memory fogged." He commented.

"Then I'll get you a map!" She laughed, "So your memory, does it remember anything about us?"

"Only little pieces from what they made me think what was real."

"You mean you sort of dreamed of me? Wow! I must be in there somewhere for you to have done that." She winked at him, making him blush slightly. "Well, I'm going to make another batch of cookies, you want to help?" She asked him.

"Sure."

The two love birds spent the whole day creating baked goods, filling the counters to the brim. When night came, Myu led Kiba upstairs where they had a cozy two bedroom apartment. It was a little different lying in bed with this strange yet familiar Myu; even more so when they made love. For her it was just like they'd been together for years, while for him it was like doing it the first time. Late into the night, Kiba told her everything about his other life he'd been living in the simulation. Myu listened intently to each word.

"So do you think everyone was real?"

"I'm not sure; I guess I'll never really know until I happen to run into at least one of them."

"So, do you miss it? Being a wolf I mean."

"With all my heart. I keep telling myself over and over again that I'm not one." His eyes looked saddened as he wished once more that he was a wolf again. It had been so real…

_O_O_

They opened the bakery bright and early, customers would come and go quickly, none had ordered a delivery as of yet. Things were going smoothly until Kiba looked up and noticed a familiar hungry face in the window.

"Hige!" Kiba yelled as he dropped everything and ran outside to greet his friend.

When Hige saw Kiba recognition set in immediately. The two friends embraced, both not believing the luck of finding one another. Kiba led his friend into the bakery, and introduced him to Myu.

"So you went through the same thing as Kiba? Nice to meet you!" She spoke, happy for her boyfriend that he'd found his friend.

"Where do you live?" Kiba asked Hige.

Hige's smiling face turned into one of reluctance. "Actually, they told me I was a bum living off the streets when they brought me in as a subject. So I've been scrounging, nothing unfamiliar though, right?" He chuckled bitterly.

Kiba felt horrible for his old pack mate. "You could live with us, we have an extra room. I'm sure we could use extra help around here, that way you could work too."

"I don't want to bother you two." Hige began.

"No, Kiba's right. We've room and need extra hands. Please, won't you stay Hige?" Myu asked him.

"Well, okay, as long as you two are both okay with this, and I promise I'll work off everything I eat!"

"That's saying a lot!" chuckled Kiba, making Hige blush. "So have you found anyone else?" Kiba asked him.

"No, you're the first." Hige replied, his mind wandering to Blue.

_O_O_

As it so happened, Blue had indeed been real, along with Quent. They had been father and daughter. Unfortunately, Quent had died due to unknown reasons involving the simulation. When Blue awakened, nothing was ever mentioned about her having a father. They let her leave with the knowledge of having no family and being destitute.

When she was out into this new reality, she didn't know what to do. When she was approached by a man offering her a job along with a place to stay, she couldn't say no. When she found out what type of work he'd meant, the old Blue would have walked out immediately. Yet having no family, friends, or a home, what did it matter?

_O_O_

Tsume and Toboe had been luckier. When Tsume had awoken he was told that he was a motocross racer, and had an address in the nicest part of town. When he was walking out, he ran into Toboe right away. The pup had been sitting on the side walk when Tsume grabbed him and lifted him off the ground into his arms. Embracing each other, Tsume noticed something off about Toboe, it involved his plump set of melons.

"You're a girl?" The surprised Tsume exclaimed.

"I was just as surprised as you were! They told me I had probably subconsciously blended in with the rest of you. Can you believe it?"

"Well, this makes what I've wanted to do a lot easier." Smirked Tsume as he bent his head and roughly kissed Toboe; in turn Toboe greedily kissed him back.

"Tsume, do you know how long I've wanted to do this?" murmured Toboe as she continued her onslaught of kisses.

"Never leave my side Toboe, I want you with me, always." Tsume said.

"Yes!" Toboe exclaimed as Tsume started leading the way towards the address that was his home.

Toboe told Tsume how the scientists had explained he was an orphan, with no family to go home to. Toboe had waited outside in the hopes of seeing Tsume.

Tsume lived in an apartment on the top floor of a high rising building. It appeared that whatever motocross stuff he did for a living was a well-paying job. Everything a person could ever want was on hand in his place; from big screen T.V. to indoor hot tub. Toboe and him downed huge amounts of food, and then relaxed in the warm waters of the hot tub.

"Hey Tsume, do you think any of the others were real too?" Toboe had asked after the two had done some tender cuddling.

"Who knows, maybe." Came his, 'I'm more interested in you right now' answer.


	2. Chapter 2

Reality and Illusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.

(Author's Note: A Hige heavy chapter.)

"Kiba." A female voice so dear to his heart spoke towards him.

"Cheza?" He called back, looking around in the darkness surrounding him for the flower maiden.

"Kiba, do you remember this one?" She asked, his eyes still finding nothing of her form.

"How could I ever forget? Where are you?" He called, beginning to feel anxious.

"Kiba must remember, what happened. . ." Her vocals were beginning to fade, becoming hard to hear.

"What are you talking about Cheza?"

"Must remember. . ." Her voice trailed off, leaving him in a hurtful silence. He yelled out her name over and over again, praying for some sort of response. Nothing came. Pure black darkness surrounded him, so vast he had no clue how long it went. Suddenly, a small glimmer of light began to crack the shadows, growing to the size of a mirror. Within the light, he could see a group of wolves running…

And then he was one of the wolves, running in the snowy abandoned landscape. A man appeared his face brutally familiar.

"Darcia." Kiba growled.

"Look out!" Tsume warned the white wolf as the tall human began to throw dart like needles at them. Kiba dashed back and forth, keeping the sharp object from hitting the mark, but in so doing he was unable to help any of the others who were also in harm's way.

Toboe was the first wolf downed, Tsume in his rage sprinted like lightening towards the masked human, avoiding the darts until he was inches from Darcia.

"Pathetic." Darcia sneered as he stabbed the grey wolf in the chest with the sharp needle.

"Tsume, no!" Kiba screamed as he watched the evil man begin to work his way towards Hige. How the pudgy wolf had darted out of the way this long was beyond Kiba. It appeared Hige's good luck was running out when the villain in speed that the eye couldn't follow was behind the collared wolf. Stabbing him in the spine, a loud howl of pain escaped Hige as he too went down. It was only the white wolf and Darcia now.

"You wolves won't interfere anymore." Darcia seemed to promise, taking his time now to dispatch the last wolf. "The flower maiden is mine."

Suddenly, Chezza was there. Had she been there the whole time and Kiba hadn't noticed? Perhaps, either way, she had appeared now. The wolf would be damned if he didn't protect her from the noble.

"No more!" Chezza begged, stepping in front of Kiba and opened her arms wide like a shield.

Darcia cruelly laughed, walking till he was only a few feet away from both wolf and maiden.

"I will be the one you take to Paradise, not any of these unworthy fools."

The man swiftly threw a dart, not counting on Chezza to block the object with her hand, the force pushing her appendage against that of Kiba's, pumping both of them with whatever had knocked out the other wolves.

Kiba heard a curse from the noble before his vision blurred and he was engulfed in darkness once more.

_O_O_

Kiba awoke from this dream clutching his chest, his heart beating rapidly.

"Kiba what's wrong?" Cried the awakened Myu.

'It was a dream' He kept chanting in his mind over and over, still clutching his chest. He waited till he had slowed down his heart rate before explaining.

"Bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Myu offered, worried look on her youthful face.

Did he want to talk about it? Hell no he didn't want to talk about it! He wanted to wipe if from his mind, never to see those images again. It had to have been just a small side effect from the simulation. He had to keep his cool, and not frighten Myu about this fact though.

"Just need to splash some water on my face, I'll be fine." He assured her, getting out of bed and walking out of their bedroom and into the bathroom down the hall.

'Get a grip Kiba, you thought you were a wolf searching for Paradise, but you're really not. So don't let this freaky dream get to you.' He told himself, turning on the faucet and splashing some cold water on his tired face. 'There, you're going to be just fine.' Was his thought till he looked up into the mirror and stared into the eyes of the white wolf. He jaw dropped and his heart began to race again, beginning to feel some moderate chest pains.

All it took was one blink and the image was gone, replaced with a dark haired blue eyed young man who looked like he had seen a ghost. He raised his hand to his face, cupping his cheek. It was soft and smooth, no fur. His eyes looked down to the sink to find that was water was overflowing, leaving a mess over the tiled floor. How long had he been staring at himself? The wolf self. . .

"Kiba?" A voice called from the other side of the door. "Everything okay in there?"

Kiba turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel, dropping it on the floor and quickly mopping up the water using his feet. He finished and opened the door to a worried Myu.

"You've been in there for over half an hour, I was beginning to worry." She explained, reaching out and stroking his cheek with her gentle hand.

"I'm fine, really." Kiba promised, taking her stroking hand in his and kissing it.

"Where's Hige?"

"I sent him on a delivery already."

_O_O_

He had finished his delivery and was taking his time walking back to the bakery; he stopped when a certain smell hit him.

'Blue?' He thought, 'No, I can't smell something like someone's scent anymore. It's just all in my head.' And yet, he'd be damned if he wasn't picking up a woodsy pine scent that he had associated with the female he adored. He turned to the building it was coming from to his right and looked up at the neon sign. It was a strip club.

'No, even if she happened to be real, she couldn't be in there. . .' doubt filled Hige. What if he passed up this moment, and missed out on actually finding her?

"I suppose taking a look wouldn't hurt." He spoke out loud, knowing that in the early afternoon not many people would probably be in there to make him feel uncomfortable.

_O_O_

'It's just my body, they can't see the me that's on the inside.' She would tell herself mentally, trying to make her job feel less filthy than it was. So she stripped off her clothes in front of a crowd of horny men. Things could be worse right? Here she had a place to sleep and eat. Still, whenever she'd go out there, with all those eyes watching her, she would see his face too. She knew it was just a mind trick, because he had that sad smile on his face, the last expression she remembered. If he had been physically there, her heart told her he'd be ashamed.

"He's not real, so get over it already, Blue!" She yelled at herself. She let out a shaky sigh and pressed her hands against her face, her thumbs wiping at the tears.

"You're up." A gruff male voice told her, letting the woman know to get her ass in gear and please the crowd that was waiting.

'Another day…in Paradise.' Blue thought bitterly as she brushed off her tears and put on a brave face. She walked out onto the stage, pushing back the velvet red curtains. The cat calls began, along with the whistles as she began to move her body to the music that began to play.

_O_O_

The stage had been empty when he had first walked in, so he went over to the bar to order something to snack on when the music caught his attention. The handfuls of men in there were calling out to the exotic dancer, throwing down dollar bill after dollar bill. Her body was brilliant, lean and long, with just enough curves in her hips. He couldn't get a good look at her face, it seemed every time he tried, and the stage light would be just in the wrong spot.

Curiousity getting the better of him, he moved from the bar to get a closer look. She had her back to him, it appeared she was messing with something on her body. Her hands flung off the lacy black bra into the small group. The woman turned toward him and Hige couldn't breathe; the short black hair style, those iconic blue eyes. It was her! The woman he had fallen in love with, and still was in love with! She didn't appear to notice his face in the crowd, maybe by now all male faces looked alike to her for all he knew. He wanted to grab her and take her off the stage. Now that he knew it was her, the attention she was getting from the other men was driving him crazy with jealousy.

A growl formed in his throat, without him realizing. This apparently caught the attention of Blue, she looked right at him when she heard the growl. Her eyes went from surprised to ashamed. In a flash she was running off the stage and into the back.

"Blue wait! Come back!" Hige called, starting to go back stage when a bouncer stopped him.

"No visitors allowed bub." He informed the distraught Hige.

"I gotta talk to Blue!" He argued, trying to get by the bulky man.

"Yeah, you and all the rest pal." He pushed back the smaller framed Hige.

Hige's mouth twisted his teeth showing, his voice deepened, "Let me pass." He warned.

The bouncer looked at strange man like he was an idiot, "What are you going to do, bite me?"

This made Hige realize his facial expression. 'Damn it, you're not a wolf!' He scolded himself mentally as he relaxed his face and turned away from the muscular man. He'd find another way to talk to Blue.

_O_O_

"Why in the hell did you run off stage?" The angry manager of the strip club yelled. "You do that one more time and you're out of here Blue!" He slammed the door behind him, leaving Blue alone in her dressing room.

At first when she had gone out there, she had seen the imaginary Hige face as per usual, but then, when she heard a growl, it made her memory of that simulated world come to mind and she looked right into the eyes of Hige. The real Hige. Her image of him had never been vocal by any means. This was the real McCoy. The only thing she could think of was to run. He would be so ashamed of her, probably sorry he had ever known her, let alone loved her!

That had all been in the simulation though, for all she knew, those feelings were just forced into her subconscious. Then why did she want to find him, to explain to him why she was working there, to have him understand that it didn't mean that she stopped caring about him; stopped loving him.

"Blue." A voice whispered, coming from the window next to the alley outside. She moved to the window, her eyes taking in the man that was on her mind.

"Oh Hige, I'm so sorry." She blurted out, making her hand cover her mouth as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Hige motioned to the lock on the window; Blue thought about the consequences, and then flipped the lock so he could open it. After so doing she moved away, her back to him, her left arm wrapping around herself as the other kept brushing at the teardrops.

She heard the slide of the window, his feet hitting the floor of her room, the slam of him shutting the widow behind him; his footsteps making their way towards her.

"Blue…You don't know how much I've thought about seeing you again. I was worried…that I'd never see you again. That, you weren't even real!" She could sense his warmth radiating as he got closer. "Did you…Think of me too?"

What a question! Only every day! Every time her eyes would even close she'd see him in her mind's eye.

"I didn't know…what else to do." Blue began, finding her voice. "They told me Pops…wasn't real. That I didn't have anyone."

"Oh Blue." He spoke sympathetically.

"I was offered this job…It came with food and a roof over my head. Hige, I wouldn't have taken it if I had known!" She felt the tears begin to well up again. "I'm no good Hige, not to you, not to anyone."

He gripped her upper arms and turned her around to face him, "Don't you say that Blue! Not after all the shit we've both been through! I love you Blue, no matter what."

"You should be ashamed of me!" She cried out, "Letting other men see me like this! It was supposed to be you and only you damn it! Now I'm just…" She couldn't finish her sentence, her sobs shaking her.

Hige held her to him, letting her own shame at her choices slide down and dissolve like rain. "We've all done things we're not proud of, Blue. But that doesn't mean we just stop and let shame consumes. We move on, and learn from the past. I'm not going to let you go now that I've just found you. Besides, all those smucks may have seen you, but at the end of the day, I'll still be the man you come home to, and that's all that matters to me Blue."

Blue felt the doom and dread slowly begin to lift from her, "You…really mean that Hige?" She looked into his eyes, searching for any doubts.

"With all my heart." He smiled, cupping her delicate face in his hands and wiping the last tear from her cheek. He slowly lifted her face closer to his, and then gently pressed his lips against hers. After a moment, Blue gently kissed him back; knowing that he was there for her, like he had and always would be.


	3. Chapter 3

Reality and Illusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.

The naked couple were curled up in warm blankets on a king sized bed when the gray haired man detected a knock coming from the front door. He untangled himself from his sleeping lover, gently getting off the bed and replacing the warm blankets. His golden eyes softened as he watched the youthful female snuggle deeper into the covers, he'd check out what was going on outside and hurry back.

Tip-toeing out of the bedroom, he paused when he heard the sound of keys jingling and the door opening. Soft footsteps that were not his own could be heard heading toward the kitchen. He had an intruder in his domain. The worry for his lover's safety burned a hole in his chest as he started to move towards the kitchen.

The trespasser was a man with jet black hair. He wore a long sleeve dress shirt with tan pants. He appeared to be messing with a kitchen utensil, now was the time to apprehend him! The silver haired male rushed the prowler, making the pair crash to the ground, the hot coffee pot falling as well, glass shattering everywhere along with the scalding brew.

"Son of a bitch, Tsume!" The unnamed man yelled, "What the hell man?" Tsume held down the stranger and felt confused. How did he know his name?

"Who are you?" Tsume growled his question at the shocked man beneath him.

"Oh right, the whole experiment thing and your memory loss." Realization hit the black haired man's eyes. "I'm Morgan, your manager."

Tsume let out a sigh and got off the man. "What are you doing in my home?" Tsume asked.

"I always come by in the morning to wake you up and start the day. You know, tell you what you've got going on for today." Morgan responded, rising up from the now coffee stained floor. His eyes turned to see a young woman wrapped in nothing but blankets rushing to Tsume's side.

"What's going on Tsume? Who is this man?" Toboe asked, one hand holding together the blanket, the other reaching out and grabbing the muscular upper arm of Tsume.

Tsume wrapped his arm around the woman protectively as he explained to Toboe what had transpired.

"I hadn't counted on you losing your memory; I knew I shouldn't have told you about the damn project." Morgan said, kicking himself.

"How did I find out about it?" Tsume asked the man.

"You tagged along when I went to my brother's research facility. He got to talking about needing subjects for his experiment and the rest, as they say, is history." Morgan told him.

"But why did I say yes?" Tsume wondered out loud, Morgan shrugged not having an answer for him.

"What did you have planned for Tsume today?" Toboe spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Well I did have him scheduled to try out his new bike, but I have a feeling you don't even remember how to ride it." Morgan looked at Tsume for a response, receiving only a shrug.

"You won't know till you try Tsume, if this is how you make a living, might as well start trying to get a hang of things sooner than later." Toboe nudged her quiet lover.

"Hey, if you're up for it Tsume, I'll work with you on it if you'd like." Morgan offered.

"Then afterword, maybe we can go walking around the town?" Toboe asked, feeling the need to explore the city.

"Fine, let's get going then." Tsume caved in, watching as the giddy Toboe jumped up and down, and rushing off to get dressed in their bedroom.

"So, is she more than a one night stand, Tsume?" Morgan asked once they were alone.

"What, am I known for those or something?" Tsume asked.

Morgan shook his head in no, "You've never really had any interest in relationships, and to be honest you're a big workaholic." Morgan chuckled. "It's kinda nice to see you happy with someone."

Tsume blushed and turned his face away from the other, "Guess I should get dressed." He spoke casually as he walked away from Morgan and towards the bedroom.

After everyone was dressed, Morgan took the couple in his car to a private indoor track. The bike awaiting them was sleek and black with smoky ghost flames on the gas tank and fender. Morgan hopped on it first, starting it and showing Tsume the basics such as the brake, the throttle and clutch. Morgan got off the bike and offered it to Tsume, watching as the other male got a feel for the machine.

Once on the bike, it was almost something like instinct kicking in as Tsume gave it some gas and took off, leaving Toboe and Morgan behind as he sped around the track, getting a feel for this new yet familiar sensation; at first taking it easy, going at a somewhat moderate speed. After a few laps, he felt confident enough to kick it up a few gears, enjoying the rush of air whizzing past his ears and hair. It made him remember what it felt like running as a wolf.

While Tsume rode his motorcycle around, it left Toboe alone with Morgan. She thought that maybe she could take this moment to ask him a few other questions about Tsume. At least, the Tsume that was before the simulation.

"Does Tsume, have any family?" Toboe asked.

Morgan looked slightly uncomfortable as he began to answer her question, "He has parents, and he hasn't had any contact with them for I don't know how long. Before he met me, Tsume had been estranged from them. He told me once, what happened. Why he didn't talk about them or even act like they existed. Normally I'd tell you to ask him about it, but seeing as he can't remember." Morgan paused, his eyes looking off towards Tsume, watching the other man enjoy the new bike.

"Apparently, Tsume had a little brother. The kid adored him, wanted to go everywhere with him and be just like him when he grew up. Then one day, they had gone camping together, they were in some heavily forested area, high up in the mountains. They were hiking when a bear came onto the trail, and charged them. Tsume told his brother to run, and assumed he was keeping up with him. That bear killed his brother. Tsume's parents never forgave him. That scar on his chest? Apparently that's the aftermath of a fight his old man and him had shortly after his brother's death."

Morgan ended his tale just as Tsume was coming back over to rejoin the group. Toboe knew her eyes would be watery from hearing the story, so she hurriedly wiped at them, making her facial expression happy to see Tsume.

"Feel confident enough to ride that thing out on the road?" Morgan asked.

Tsume nodded a yes, "There's room for one more on here Toboe." He inclined his head behind him to the small rear seat.

Toboe's eyes bugged out slightly, feeling a bit afraid of the big machine. "Is it safe?"

Morgan and Tsume both chuckled at the youthful brunette's worry. "It's perfectly safe." Morgan assured her. "Before you head out, here's some cash if you two want something while you're out and about." He handed Tsume a think envelope filled with cash. Tsume stuffed it in his front pocket, mumbling thanks as he motioned for the still tentative Toboe to jump on. Toboe got on and the two headed out, leaving the other to lock up after them.

-O-

Hige opened the bakery door followed by a cautious Blue; a bag slung over her shoulder.

"I'm back!" He announced, Myu smiled at the newcomer with Hige, "So this is what took you so long." She giggled.

"Myu, this is Blue. She's one of the people who went through the same experiment as Kiba and I." Hige explained.

"Wow! You're lucky to have found one another again! I mean, what are the odds?" Myu asked, shaking the extended hand of Blue. "I'm so glad to meet you!"

"Where's Kiba?" Hige asked.

"He went out on a delivery since you were still gone." Myu explained. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

-O-

Kiba had been trying to find the address Myu had given him to no avail, every time he tried following the map; it always sent him to a dead end. After the fifth time, he came upon a small cottage like home; he could have sworn there had been nothing there a few moments ago. He walked up to the front door and knocked. No one answered; the faint sound of music was coming from the back yard. He went to the back gate, and called out. Still no body would respond. He grudgingly opened the gate, and walked into a bountiful garden. Flowers and plants blossomed everywhere he looked, the scents overpowering his nose.

The music he had heard was coming from a girl; she appeared to be singing to the flowers. When he moved closer to get a better look, Kiba was stunned. The resemblance was unmistakable, she was the embodiment of the flower maiden he had known and loved as a wolf. Her pink hair glittered in the sunlight as she stopped her melodic chant to the flowers and shone her magenta eyes upon the taken aback delivery boy.

"Oh boy, my cookies!" She smiled, walking over to the still young man holding her parcel. "How much do I owe you?" She asked, watching as Kiba blinked rapidly to clear his fogged mind.

"Ten, Ten dollars." He rasped out, voice sounding like it hadn't had a glass of water in weeks.

She dug into her pink dress pocket and handed him the exact amount, exchanging it for the delicious treats. "Thank you so much!" She spoke as she opened the box and took out a flower shaped cookie.

Kiba stood and watched, still dumbfounded by the girl's unnatural likeness to Cheza. He needed to ask her, just so that he'd know now or never if there had ever been a real Cheza, but it seemed speech was beyond him at the moment.

"I know this place is hard to find, so for all your trouble, I want you to have this." She spoke, taking out a beautiful white flower out of her other pocket and handing it to him. "They're called Lunar Lilies." She informed him, "I plan on selling my flowers, so let people know where you got this one." She grinned, as she turned her back to him and headed back over to her awaiting blossoms.

"Wait!" He called out, finally finding his voice. The girl jumped at his sudden call, but turned around to see what he wanted. "What's your name?"

"It's Chelsea, and I'll be seeing a lot more of you Kiba."

Suddenly, Kiba wasn't in a Garden anymore, he was at the dead end that he had been coming to over and over again. No cottage like house remained, just a brick wall. He looked down to see that his parcel of cookies were gone, the ten dollar bill in his shirt pocket, and a white Lunar Lilly still blossoming in his hand.

-O-

Authors Note: _I would like to thank both my reviewers, WargishBoromirFan and Ashlight11! I really appreciate your interest in this story! It's nice to know that you are enjoying the story so far, your support alone makes me more willing to keep at it! Thanks so much! _-VashandNaomiForever


	4. Chapter 4

Reality and Illusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.

Myu had noticed how her boyfriend Kiba had been lately stressed, so on their Sunday off, she took the whole group out to the Zoo. Kiba had appreciated the thought, but even in this environment he still could not stop his mind from remembering his unearthly encounter. The girl had haunted his nights ever since, making him restless. He had wanted to talk to someone about it, but a part of him didn't know if they'd believe him or not. Myu, bless her for trying, would be the last one he'd go to. He cared so much for her, he didn't want to worry her about the apparent illusions he had. She had enough to worry about with taking on another mouth to feed and still making money with the bakery.

He had the urge to talk to Hige about it, being as the other had gone through the simulation with him; maybe the guy would be less disturbed by Kiba's unusual happenings. With Blue's arrival, and the bakery being incredibly busy the past few days, Kiba hadn't had time to talk to the other male alone. Now that they were taking a day off, maybe he could take him off somewhere unaccompanied by Blue. Not that he didn't trust Blue; it was hard enough admitting to seeing things to one person, let alone two!

"Where do you want to look first?" Myu called to him, making Kiba come out of his silent musings.

"Actually, I would really appreciate it if you would take Blue with you; I need to talk to Hige alone for a moment, then we'll meet up at the center of the Zoo?" He asked her, watching as the other couple slowly made their way towards them.

Myu sighed at first, worried about what Kiba had to talk to Hige about, then grudgingly nodded a yes. She'd do anything to make her lover happy. She trotted over to Blue, giggling and smiling, taking her hand and pulled Blue along with her. "Let's have some girl time Blue!" She exclaimed, the surprised Blue following with a quick look back at Hige, her lips spouting out a 'See you later?' as she was dragged off to look at baby seals.

Hige walked over to Kiba, "What was that all about?"

Kiba shrugged, "Oh, you know girls…" He started randomly walking around, not really paying attention to the animals, more so to his own two feet. Hige followed, looking left and right at the different creatures.

"So what's up?" Hige asked, making Kiba jump slightly.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Kiba asked.

"You can't fool me Kiba, I know something is bothering you." Hige informed the taken aback friend.

They stopped at an exhibit, not bothering to take notice as to what was in it, as they leaned on the railing.

"Have you been having any…Side effects?" Kiba questioned his gaze still on his own feet, not prepared to look his friend in the face just yet.

Hige was surprised to hear this question; he took a moment to think about his answer. "Well, when I was passing the place blue was in, I could have sworn my nose had picked up her scent…That's what made me even go in that strip club."

"Strip club?" Kiba blanched, now looking at Hige. "You can't tell Myu about that! She'd freak!"

"I know, damn it!" Hige began, "Blue's been ashamed enough as it is about being in that situation, she doesn't need anyone else beating her up about it!" Hige spat, protecting his lady's last profession. "We just told Myu that she was living on the street. Let's leave it at that."

Kiba nodded, not wanting to make it anymore hard on Blue to fit in than it probably already was.

"Also, getting back to your earlier question, I caught myself snarling at a bouncer in that club. I don't know if you would call those side effects or just my mind playing tricks on me. Why? What happened to you, Kiba?" Hige inquired concern on his young face.

Kiba explained about his odd dream and the mirror illusion. "Remember that delivery I went on, when you were out finding Blue?"

Hige nodded.

"I think…I might have seen Cheza. Or at least a girl that looked exactly like her. She even grew flowers! The strangest thing was, I was there with her, in her garden. Then the next minute I was at a dead end. It all just vanished! But not before she said she'd be seeing a lot more of me. She even knew my name without me telling her." Kiba felt himself shaking; the memory of it still chilled him to the bone. "I have nightmares about it."

Hige placed a hand on Kiba's shoulder, "Kiba, I'm sorry you've been alone in this." He began, "Have you thought…of maybe seeing a doctor?"

Kiba's face turned red in anger, "I don't need a damn doctor!" He shrugged off Hige's hand, glaring at the other male.

"Okay, just take it easy Kiba." Hige put up his hands in a gesture of submission. "It was just a suggestion."

Kiba calmed after a bit, his mind going blank as he took in what was in the exhibit below them. His eyes grew to saucers at what was in there. Hige noticed his friend's strange look and stared down at the animals.

"Wolves. . ." Hige spoke, feeling strange staring at the animal he used to be.

Kiba kept staring at a brown male wolf that kept its eyes oddly locked on him. _"You were supposed to be the ones to make it. You were going to 'find Paradise', and prove all of us wrong. You have some nerve coming here. You ruined everything! Look at the world we live in now! We're prisoners here, because of you! We've been put on the endangered species list and live in captivity all thanks to you! We're punished for your failure!" _ The voice was that of Sal, the wolf leader they had met in the city where they worked as dogs for humans. Kiba grabbed his head with both of his hands.

"Get out of my head." He spoke quietly at first, "You're not really talking to me."

"_You deserved that beating from Moss and the guys, maybe if he'd had finished the job we wouldn't be in this mess! And you actually thought you were the chosen one? HA! The Flower Maiden's journey was doomed the moment she met you!" _ The wolf began to growl, his hair rising on his neck.

"You're not real! You're not real!" Kiba shouted shaking his head from side to side, as Hige tried to find out what was wrong.

Just then Myu and Blue came upon the men, noticing the apparent episode Kiba was having.

"Kiba, what's wrong!" Myu shouted over Kiba's screams.

"Leave me alone!" He cried out, shoving all three friends out of his way as he ran towards the Zoo exit.

"_Go on and run, that's all you're good for!"_ Sal's voice called to him, the last thing Kiba's mind comprehending as he exited the Zoo.

-O-O-

"_Another woman is confirmed dead is evening. The elusive killer has claimed his sixth victim, his targets seeming to be young women between the ages of 16 and 17. Authorities have been investigating only to come up with no leads on who is behind these horrific slaughters. In other news. . ."_ Tsume turned off the television, a deep frown imbedded on his face. He didn't like that this maniac hadn't been found yet, in less than a month six women were dead; women who were around the same age as Toboe. The thought of something like that ever happening…Tsume would be shattered. He had lost Toboe once already, he'd be damned if he lost her again!

"What's wrong?" Toboe's soft voice called from behind the distracted Tsume. He felt arms wrap around from behind, the couch separating the rest of their bodies.

"Just watching the news." Tsume offered, not wanting to mention the recent killing and upset her. He felt her lips press against the top of his head.

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" Toboe cooed, bringing Tsume into a better frame of mind. He took his arms and reached behind to pull the slender lover's body over the couch and onto his lap.

"You could stand to mention it more often." Tsume smirked down at his lady, playfully kissing her on the lips.

"I miss the others." Toboe confided in her partner.

"I know you do." Tsume began, "We may yet find them." Though secretly in his heart, a part of Tsume hoped not. It seemed every time they were all together again, something horrible happened. And with that killer on the loose, Tsume had Toboe's safety to think about. Lately they had been staying in the apartment, ordering in and watching movies. He could sense Toboe's restlessness and hated keeping her cooped up, but until the killer was found, there didn't seem to be another option.

"Can we go out tomorrow?" Toboe asked, hope in her brown eyes. "Some fresh air would be good for the both of us."

Tsume's smile faltered at this, his eyes looking away from Toboe's. "We'll see." Was the best answer he could come up with. He heard the sigh of resigned acceptance from his lover, making him feel guilty. Toboe gracefully slid off Tsume's lap, and started walking toward the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Tsume asked.

"To take a shower." She answered sadly, Tsume's heart breaking at the defeated tone in her voice.

He could hear her footsteps echoing off the hard wood floor, the sound of the curtain being pulled back and the shower starting filled his ears. _"Is my love…enough to cheer her?. . .Am I wrong in keeping her caged like an animal?"_ Tsume pondered, placing his face in his open palms. _"I'm so afraid of losing you, but I might already be by keeping you close all the time."_

"Tsume, you're an idiot." He told himself, rising off the couch and heading toward the shower. Stripping his clothes while making his way down the hall, he thought he could hear sobs. He paused at the door of the master bathroom, listening carefully.

"I love him…I love him but, I miss the open air so much!" Toboe's voice could be heard within the shower. Sobs then began to emit from her, making Tsume feel even worse.

He knocked, noticing her sobs ending, "Yes?" She called out in a somewhat hoarse voice.

He walked up and opened the shower curtain, looking into the red eyes of the woman he loved, a forged smile plastered on her face; always trying to be strong for Tsume's sake.

"I'm so sorry, Toboe." Tsume began, stepping into the shower with her and wrapping his arms around her protectively, "We'll go out tomorrow. I promise." He felt her small frame shake as she let out her pent up sobs, her mumbled "Thank you so much Tsume!" trembled against his muscular chest.

He kissed the top of her head, knowing he was doing the right thing yet still worried for what might happen come tomorrow.

-O-O-

Morgan had dropped by that morning, saying he needed Tsume to come with him right away; something about one of his sponsors ordering a meeting with him immediately.

"What about our day?" Toboe asked, watching as Tsume prepared to leave with his manager.

"I promise, when I get back we'll go out and do something fun. Until then, please wait for me Toboe." Tsume urged, stealing a quick kiss from the slightly disappointed Toboe.

"Alright." Toboe agreed halfheartedly, watching as the two men exited their apartment, leaving her alone. The silence bothered her immensely; she turned on the radio, the music helping little.

"_Come on Toboe! You can entertain yourself for an hour or so while Tsume's gone!"_ she tried to tell herself. She went into the kitchen, feeling a bit hungry and decided to whip up something to eat; deciding on scrambled eggs and toast. Once finished making breakfast, she turned off the radio and clicked the T.V. remote to on. It was still on a news channel, being more of a cartoon fan, she was about to flip channels when a report caught her attention.

"_A new flower shop has recently been opened, the owner, a fourteen year old girl! One of the youngest business owners in the city!" The camera turned to the pink haired, magenta eyed girl they were talking about. _

Toboe was chewing a mouthful of eggs when they showed the girl; she spat it out onto the floor, her eyes wide with disbelief. It was Cheza! She was real after all! She scrambled to find a pen and paper and began to write down the address. When Tsume came home they'd make sure to go and visit Cheza!

"Maybe…I can go check this out while he's gone. . .No. He'd be so angry with me…but I'm so bored all by myself!" She spoke out loud.

"I'll be back before he even knows I'm gone!" Toboe decided, grabbing a jacket and the apartment keys, her directions to the shop were placed in her purse as she exited her home.


	5. Chapter 5

Reality and Illusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.

The two men entered the towering building where Tsume's head sponsor waited. Inside the layout was contemporary, everything from chairs to the pictures on the walls were immaculately placed. A woman with dark hair pulled up in two perfectly rounded buns stared coldly, looking at them as if they were bugs needing to be squashed into nonexistence.

"Lord Darcia does not appreciate tardiness, nor do I." She snipped, pressing down a button, "They've arrived Sir." She spoke into the speaker.

"Send them up." He ordered, the lady pointed to the elevator.

"Top floor." She informed them, and then turned her eyes onto something more important.

"What crawled up her ass and died?" griped Tsume to Morgan. Morgan's skin was damp from sweating; he kept pulling at the collar of his neck trying to feel cooler.

"What's the matter with you?" Tsume asked, worried that his manager was worried.

"This is your main sponsor, Tsume, if he isn't happy…It's not like we can just tell him to screw off if he gives us any trouble, he has _connections_. It would be very hard to find another man with as much money and power to pay for all your needs." Morgan divulged.

"Darcia…God I hope he has no connection to that damn simulated world." Tsume stated, his stomach rolling at the thought.

"Why's that?" Morgan asked, "Was your fake Darcia a bad man?"

"Bad doesn't even begin to define him. In the simulation he did horrific things…He killed Toboe." _'Along with the rest of us'_ he mentally thought the last part.

Morgan frowned, "I could see how that name would make you. . .Cautious."

The elevator doors opened, depositing the men into the ornate room belonging to Darcia. A giant leather office chair had its back turned to the guests. It slowly turned around to reveal a blue haired sharp dressed man sitting within it.

"Sit down." He ordered more than offered, voice resonated with authority. Tsume already disliked him. Both men sat in front of the onyx desk, which Darcia sat comfortably behind.

"You haven't been in a race for a month now." He stated this fact to Tsume. "If you wish to have my backing, you can either enter and win the next race, or find another benefactor. Do I make myself clear?" He inquired.

Tsume nodded his head, not wanting to even waste his words on the tight ass.

"Good. Now, if you'll go back down and wait, Morgan and I have some things to discuss privately for a moment." Darcia sneered more than smiled, Tsume gladly left the unlikable man's office, leaving Morgan behind.

"Why you have let him lounge about without working for his money is beyond me." Darcia scolded the black haired man across from him.

"He's been through a lot sir, with participating in that experiment. . ."Morgan began.

"I know all about that experiment, I own the company who tested it." Darcia informed the taken aback Morgan. "My wife's health has been failing; the experiment was our first step to seeing if alternate lives in a simulated world would help those with mental health issues."

"I'm sorry to hear that she isn't faring well. Did she too participate in the experiment?" Morgan asked, watching as Darcia's face grew red.

"Do you think I'd risk her health further by letting her take part in the first experiment?" He accused, "No, when it is fool proof, then we will see if it. . .Helps." Darcia's mood seemed to crawl back, his face evening out in color as he collected himself completely.

"Is there anything else you wanted to discuss with me, sir?" Morgan asked, wanting to leave the others presence.

"I've heard from my sources that Tsume has a lady friend living with him. I don't need him distracted, Morgan. I bought a winning racer, and intend to keep him winning, with your help if needed." Darcia smiled.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"If the bitch becomes too much of a distraction, get rid of her." Darcia informed him, as if it were obvious.

Morgan felt himself starting to sweat again at this order he was given. "Do we understand eachother?" Darcia asked.

"Yes sir." Morgan spoke, trying hard to keep his composure.

"Good, now leave. I'm expecting other company shortly." Darcia commanded. Morgan gratefully got up and left the unnerving man's office. Knowing that Tsume would prod at what they had discussed and that he'd have to lie to his friend.

-O-O-

They had found him curled up under the stairs, in a fetal position. When told they were taking him to a doctor, he didn't even object this time. Maybe there was something wrong with him. Hige called a cab, all four crammed into the yellow vehicle as Myu told the cabbie to head for the city hospital.

Kiba was given a cat scan; they wanted to make sure his brain didn't have any tumors that were possibly causing the 'voices'. If he was clear, they would refer the group to a shrink. The doctors looked over the x-rays, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing physically seemed to be wrong with the young man. All the blood work came back normal as well.

"We suggest you try Dr. Fritz. He's the top mental health professional in the city."

-O-O-

"I understand that you've been having delusions, Kiba. Would you like to tell me about them?" The Doctor inquired, watching as the young man in front of him closed his eyes and sighed.

"I had been involved in an experiment before having these illusions, don't you think maybe that's why I'm having them?" Kiba asked.

"Self-diagnosing is neither healthy nor helpful, Kiba. You're friends have already informed me about that part, yet where you don't recall your life before this so called experiment, who's to say you weren't already having some sort of delusion beforehand?"

"And who's to say I wasn't?" Kiba countered.

"True, I guess we won't know until you recover your memory. Until then I am going to prescribe you this medicine that should help with blocking these episodes you've been having. And if you start to think it's going to happen, I want you to take another pill right away." Dr. Fritz smiled, his hand mechanically reaching up and stroking his gray beard. His moon shaped glasses tilting down his nose as he looked thoughtfully at Kiba.

"We will also have weekly sessions to discuss how your days went."

"Is that all?" Kiba asked, ready to leave.

"Yes." The aged man nodded, as he watched the relieved Kiba exit his office.

"How'd it go?" Myu asked, she had been awaiting her boyfriend's return.

"He's going to give me pills to help with the. . .visions." Kiba told her as they walked over to the secretary who had his prescription. He took the bagged bottles from her and the group headed out of the mental health office.

-O-O-

While waiting on Kiba, the group had had a lot of time to kill. Myu had sat faithfully in the waiting room, letting the others know they could walk around if they liked, she'd be fine alone. Hige felt like eating something to calm his nerves, he asked Blue if she wanted to come along, she declined. Blue wanted to stay close to Myu if she needed her. Blue walked Hige out of the office, waving him good bye for now as she lit up a cigarette. It was one of her habits she'd taken up while stripping and hadn't given it up yet. Myu didn't like the smell, and had asked for her to not smoke in the house. Hige didn't like that it could lead to health problems, but she in kind said that his love of fattening foods could lead to health problems as well. They were left with a draw.

While outside, enjoying her smoke, a man in a black suit walked up to her, lighting up a cigarette of his own.

"I've missed seeing you at the club." He began, "You were always the best looker out of the bunch." He commented, making the surprised Blue blush.

"I don't do that anymore." She told him, trying to finish up her smoke so that she could leave soon.

"It's too bad. I was gonna ask if you'd be interested in making some big cash. You wouldn't have to touch nothing, just let me watch you undress, maybe dance around a bit." He told her. "Think about it, I'll always be interested." He said, giving her a card and walking off.

She looked down at the card and immediately wanted to throw it in the trash, yet something held her back from doing it. Maybe it was the prospect of making fast cash when she knew Myu could really use the extra cash flow. Maybe it was because Blue wasn't the best help in the kitchen, the men already handling the delivery part of the business. She could always say no. Having the card in her pocket wasn't going to damn her if she wasn't planning on doing anything about it, right? Just something to hold onto, besides, from what the card said, the guy was also a lawyer, never knew when you might need one of those. At least that was what she would tell herself.

-O-O-

The cottage like flower shop was not as busy as Toboe had imagined it would be. Few people were inside, looking and appraising the beautiful flowers that took up the entire place. The pink haired girl waited patiently behind an old fashioned register; her eyes capturing Toboes, her lips lifting into a smile.

"Welcome!" She greeted the new arrival.

"Cheza!" Toboe called, rushing up to the girl.

"My name is Chelsea." The other corrected her, "Do I know you?"

Toboe felt silly for mistaking the Cheza look-alike. Her eyes went to the floor, "You look like a friend I used to know." She explained.

"Would you like to be this one's friend?" The girl asked, shaking toboe at the words, 'this one'.

"Very much so, my name's Toboe." She extended her hand, the girl gently gripping it in her own and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you Toboe. To bind our new friendship, I'd like to give you this flower." The pink haired girl spoke, reaching under the counter and bringing out a white blossom, "It's called a Lunar Lily."

"Okay, and you can have one of my bracelets, they're very dear to me." Toboe confided, gingerly taking one of her silver bracelets off as the two exchanged gifts.

"Your flower is beautiful! All of them are!" Toboe commented, taking a general look around her to view the varied plants and flowers.

"Thank you, Toboe. I've always loved flowers. I've grown them ever since I was a child." Chelsea confided in the other girl.

"I bet your parents are really proud of you!" Toboe stated.

"I don't have any parents." The girl informed her, making Toboe feel bad.

"I'm sorry, what hap…" Toboe was interrupted by a person coming up to purchase some roses. Chelsea took the man's money and handed him a receipt.

"Thank you!" She called as the man walked out of the shop.

"It's okay though, I don't mind being alone. I'll always have my flowers for company, and now I'll have you too Toboe." The girl smiled at her new friend.

"That's right." Toboe agreed, smiling back. Her eyes noticed a clock on the wall and her smile faded. "I didn't know it was that late! I need to get going, but I'll be back with a friend!" Toboe told Chelsea as the brunette waved good bye and rushed out of the shop.

'_Tsume is gonna be so mad when he finds me gone!'_ Toboe worried as she rushed along the side walk, trying hard to remember which way she needed to go to get back to the apartment. _'I hope I don't get lost.'_

-O-O-

'_Should I go out and look for her? Or do I wait to see if she comes back? Damn it Toboe! I told you to stay here!'_ Tsume cursed as he paced his apartment, worry upsetting his stomach. He hadn't eaten since last night's dinner and now it was almost six in the evening! Morgan had offered to help look for her, but Tsume had sent him away. Not before the ass hole had said something snarky about Toboe. "_Maybe she's too much of a distraction, Tsume._" He had said.

"_Yeah, well maybe I need a new manager!_" That had shut him up. Now Tsume was alone to worry about his lover. His lover that should have been waiting for him like he had asked! Why did she go? He had been home for hours now; they could have gone out and done something together! Now Tsume wasn't about to go out on the town with Toboe. She'd worried him enough for one day.

He heard rushed footsteps on the stairs outside his doors, along with heavy panting. "Tsume!" Toboe called, pounding on the door, "Tsume open up! Hurry! Someone's following me!"

That got Tsume to rush to the door and open it, letting in the frightened Toboe and shutting her in alone, in the safety of their home, so that he was out in the hall. He waited until he noticed a shadow looking around the corner. Then a head popped out, it was an elderly man with a fedora. Once he saw Tsume he turned quickly to run. Tsume chased after him, running down the stairs and jumping to land on the fleeing stalker. The two struggled, the man trying to get to his jacket pocket, Tsume pulling back on the arm, suspecting a gun. After precious seconds ticked by, Tsume pinned the stalkers arms behind his back.

"What were you going to do once you caught her, huh? Beat her?" Tsume hit the man in the head at the last word, "Rape her?" He asked, hitting the pervert harder again on the noggin. "Kill her?" He spat, knocking the guy unconscious with the final blow to his already beaten head. Tsume let go of the stalkers hands, getting his cell phone out of his jacket and dialing the police.

"Hello, police? I think I might have found the man responsible for the recent killings."


	6. Chapter 6

Reality and Illusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.

It was hard to survive in the city, minimum wage being so low that it barely let the lower and middle class scrape by. The streets were grungy and rough, so were the people living on them. It was the middle of the day; most adults were working while the children went to school. Well, not this child. Her wiry frame made her viable to pass as a boy, her short brown hair messy and slightly dirty. She wore baggy clothes that hung loosely off her body. Her eyes were sharp and watchful, knowing full well she could be caught by a truancy officer if not careful. School would have to deal with her absence, right now her main responsibility was to her family. Her mother had given her their last dollar; both parents would not see another cent till they were paid again next week. It was up to her to spend it wisely on food they desperately needed, for their cupboards were bare. Her parents would be unable to purchase any type of nourishment, their shifts ended right when all the stores closed.

A dollar did not go very far in this city, she needed to choose wisely. Her worn down sneakers shuffled down the sidewalk as she passed different venders. There was a fruit stand, but fruit was very expensive, so she had to move on. The local fisherman was selling his wares, and the thought of eating something so filling made her stomach gurgle with want, but his prices were nowhere near her limited funds. She sadly moved on, her options seemed to keep disappearing. At last she stood outside the bakery, her eyes gazing hungrily through the store window at the warm and fresh breads. She could afford a few rolls, but that would not keep her family feed throughout the entire week. Her heart was beginning to sink at the thought of coming home empty handed. Her eyes betrayed her as she felt the stinging sensation of tears.

"No crying! You gotta be strong!" She cursed herself, wiping angrily at the unwanted tears.

The daughter of the baker took notice of the lanky tomboy. She gestured for the younger girl to come inside. She watched as the other struggled to decide what to do, finally giving in and walked into the bakery; the smell of freshly baked bread was overpowering.

"Are you looking for some bread? We're having a special sale on these whole wheat loaves; two loaves for a dollar." The bakers' daughter brought out the loaves she was talking about and showed them to the stunned tomboy. That amount of bread would feed her family until the next payday! Quickly she took out her parent's hard earned money and handed it to the older girl.

"Thank you!" The tomboy said as she took her loaves and hurried out into the street, running the rest of the way home.

_O_O_

Myu never forgot the kindness of the baker's daughter. It was that experience that made her want to run a bakery and make food affordable for the working man. She was setting fresh warm tarts on display trays while Blue swept the shop. Myu caught something out of the corner of her eye and looked over to see a little girl looking hungrily through the store window; her long black hair tangled and unkempt, her clothes patchy and dirty. Myu stopped what she was doing and walked over to the door and waved at the child, gesturing for her to come inside. You could plainly see the uncertainty within the child's eyes, but curiosity got the best of her and she cautiously went inside the bakery.

"I'm Myu, what's your name?" Myu asked, bending her knees so that she was eye level with the girl.

"Leara." She offered, her gaze looking around at all the delicious smelling food.

"Are you hungry? You would like some bread?" Myu inquired. The little girl looked down at the ground and nodded her head.

"But I don't have any money." She whispered, sadness ringing within her little voice.

"That's okay, I made extra just in case a cute little girl came into my shop today!" Myu smiled, she then stood up and walked over to some of the tarts she had just finished baking. She filled a small brown paper bag to the brim and handed it to the shocked girl.

"I can't take this!" The girl started to try and hand them back to Myu.

"Of course you can! It's my gift to you." Myu winked at the uncertain girl.

"Thank you so much!" The girl hugged the taken aback Myu then left quickly.

Blue smiled at the other girl, "You're so kind hearted, Myu."

Myu blushed and headed back to her remaining tarts, "I remember how it felt to live like that. If I see a hungry mouth I'm going to fill it! All this city needs is a little compassion, and then maybe it wouldn't be so bad out there."

Blue looked at the clock on the wall, "Uh, I hate to do this to you, but I picked up a part time job cleaning an office and I kinda have to get going. Will you be okay on your own?" She asked, worried for the other female.

"Another job huh? That's great Blue! I'll be fine. You go ahead and get going, and I'll see you when you get back!" Myu smiled at her friend as the other put away the broom and ran out the door, waving goodbye in her wake.

"Good for Blue." Myu mused thoughtfully as she continued working in silence.

_O_O_

"How has your medication been working?" Hige asked of his friend Kiba. The two were walking down the sidewalk, heading over to take a look at the new flower shop, "You know, maybe we shouldn't be going to this place, if what you say is true, seeing that Cheza look alike again might not be the smartest idea."

"I'm fine, really. The pills have really been working." Kiba assured the pudgy brunette. "Besides, I want to find some things out, while I'm clear headed."

"Alright, but if you start freaking out again, I'm draggin' your butt back home!" Hige promised, Kiba nodding in agreement to appease the other.

"Here it is." Kiba spoke as the two took in the site of the shop. The landscaping outside was spotless, every fern and flower positioned just perfectly.

"You sure you're okay with this?" Hige asked once more, truly concerned for his friend.

"Let's go." Kiba spoke as he walked up and opened the door to the flower shop, the heavenly scent from the many flowers engulfing the two. Kiba's eyes began to search for the flower maiden look alike.

"Holy shit." Hige said in awe, Kiba turned his head to see where the other was looking and his eyes landed on Cheza. "You weren't kidding when you said she looked like her." Kiba ignored the comment as he passed his friend and walked up to the curious girl.

"Hello again." The girl smiled up at the mesmerized Kiba. "I'm glad you came. Do you like the shop?" Kiba robotically nodded his head in response. Hige was no longer stricken with awe over her appearance and began a conversation with her, asking about the different kinds of flowers and how business was doing.

"I'm sorry about my friend; he's a little taken aback by you. You remind him of a dear friend we once knew." Hige tried explaining Kiba's behavior.

"That's alright, I don't mind." She smiled warmly.

"Well, we should probably get going, but we'll be back again really soon. Right Kiba?" Kiba nodded, his eyes seeming to be glued onto the girl's form. "Alright pal, time to go home." Hige put his arm around his friend and began to lead him out of the shop. When they had shut the door behind them, it was like Kiba had awakened from a trance.

"Well aren't we going in?"

"You're kidding, right? We were just in there." Hige looked at his friend worriedly.

"What are you talking about? We haven't even been inside yet!" Kiba argued. "If you don't want to go in, I'll go by myself."

"Kiba, we really did go in and you just stared at her like a weirdo. You didn't even speak to her; you'd just nod your head." Hige tried to explain.

Kiba didn't believe him. "Well I guess I'm going in again. Just go ahead and head back to the bakery, I'll catch up." He said dismissively as he reached for the door handle and entered the shop for a second time.

Hige let out an annoyed sigh, his friend was acting really strange. He should probably go back in and check on Kiba, but his stomach was beginning to gurgle and cramp. He knew Kiba was still having a hard time after going through his ordeal, but Hige supposed it wouldn't hurt to grab a quick snack from the bakery and come right back if his friend didn't return on his own. . .

_O_O_

The office was small and dark, the air a bit musty but at least cool. Her tanned body was bending to mock dust a shelf that was already clean with her feather duster. Her top was off, exposing her ripe for the picking breasts. All she had on was a short black skirt with a white lace trim. The lawyer who had given her his card was sitting behind his desk, watching her move provocatively around the room.

"You missed a spot." He spoke toward her, watching as she turned with her ass facing him and bent over. She could hear his grunts and soft moans, knowing exactly what he was doing as he admired her body.

'_It's going to be okay, he's almost done and then I'll get paid and get out of here. This is just one time and it's not like I'm letting him touch me after all._' Blue kept telling herself. She knew the bakery wasn't doing so well, and that with everyone living together the extra money would really be appreciated. If it required her to do a little bit of lying for all of them to live a bit more comfortably, how could Blue not do it? Hige himself had said other men may see her but if at the end of the day she's with him, then there was no harm no foul.

"Will you be available again?" He asked her once he had finished and had cleaned himself up.

"Just say when." Was Blues answer, her mind secretly not completely made up.

"If you ever decide that you want to do more than just strip, I promise I'll make it worth your while." He told her as he handed her two wadded up hundred dollar bills. Blue's eyes looked away from him as her head nodded that she had heard his offer. She shoved the money in her pocket and exited the office fully clothed.

"Blue!" A familiar voice called out to her, making her face turn white. It was Hige. She quickly made her face neutral and even smiled at him as he came up to her. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just got done with a part time job I picked up." She answered; the two began to walk home together.

"What kind of job is it?" He inquired; Blue on the inside felt panicked but kept her outside demeanor casual. "Just cleaning up an office."

Hige was quite for most of their walk home, until they were a block away did he speak again.  
>"This may sound crazy, but I was kinda worried you were stripping again." They shared a glance and Hige was the first to look away. "I'm sorry I was so quick to jump to that conclusion. I know you'd never do that again." He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I love you Blue, and I think it's great what you're doing. Every little bit is going to really help keep a roof over our heads." He let go of her hand to open the door of the bakery. Blue walked inside first followed by Hige. Myu greeted them and asked where Kiba was.<p>

"I was going to grab a quick snack and head back for him." Hige explained, blushing as his stomach growled loudly.

"Just bring him back safe and sound." Myu told him as she handed him a to-go bag of cookies, she wanted Hige to get going right away.

"I'm sure he's going to be fine." Hige assured her as he waved goodbye to the two girls and headed out the door to go find the leader of the pack.

_O_O_

"Cheza. . .I've missed you so much. I thought about you all the time. I wish I could have taken you to paradise." The blue eyed young man gazed longingly at the pink haired girl. She was sitting on a bench surrounded with white lilies. Kiba was kneeling in front of her, his hands holding hers within her lap. She took one hand away and began to run her fingers through his windswept hair.

"This one's paradise is wherever you are Kiba." She told him. "Will you keep this one company more often?"

"Yes, anything for you Cheza." Kiba promised the maiden. He let her hands cup his face and lift up for their eyes to meet. "You are going to make this one very happy." Cheza smiled down at him before placing her lips against his forehead and kissing it. Kiba let out a content sigh, her presence was a godsend. "You should go; another is on its way looking for you." Kiba begrudgingly stood up and promised to visit again soon. His heart sinking with each step he took away from her. Cheza was real alright, but was he going to tell the others? Hell no! They'd think he was going crazy again. She would just have to be his private secret; which if he showed he could be around her without freaking out; no one would be the wiser. He could visit her as much as he liked. With that thought on his mind, it made it less painful walking away from her to go home.

'_This one has been waiting for you Kiba. This one will take you to paradise, once the seed is planted. Our flower will grow until it blooms inside me. Then paradise will be opened._'

VashandNaomiForever: I would like to thank everyone for reading! It really means a lot to see that people are still enjoying this fan fiction. A heads up on this story: It is going to get a little weird between Cheza and Kiba. Get ready for that. Also no mention of Tsume or Toboe in this chapter, saving them for the next one. If you'd like to leave a review, I'd love to read them!


	7. Chapter 7

Reality and Illusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.

"Tsume, stay focused and you're sure to win this race." Morgan encouraged his client as he watched the white haired man grab his helmet. Tsume already didn't like the loud noises of the crowd along with the bikes roaring around the track to warm up before the race. It's not that he wasn't confident about participating; he'd ignore the irritating noises and focus on his goal when the time came.

"Just make sure you watch over Toboe. I don't want her getting lost in that crowd. Stay close to her and keep her safe. You do that and I'll win your damn race." Tsume eyed the man sternly; Morgan raised his hands up defensively.

"You got it Tsume. She'll be waiting for you at the finish line safe and sound." The manager assured him.

Just then Toboe came up to the group; Tsume gave a silent signal to Morgan basically telling him to give the couple some private time. Once the two lovebirds were alone, Toboe embraced her strong willed boyfriend and kissed him affectionately on the cheek. "I'll be fine while you're racing, so just concentrate and do your best." She murmured in his ear. Tsume bent his head to kiss her softly on the lips.

"I'll see you at the finish line." He promised her. She moved away from him and watched as he put his helmet on and waved goodbye as he took off to warm up for the race. "I'll be waiting Tsume." She whispered to the wind.

An older man with a long trench coat and a black briefcase made his way slowly up some stairs that connected to a private box. Reaching into his left pocket he dug out a key and opened the locked door. Pushing the door open with his briefcase hand, he looked around the empty room. His eyes hawk like and trained to spy anything out of the norm. He moved to the huge window that looked out towards the track where the racers could be seen warming up their loud machines. He wasn't interested in the racers, at least not today. Today his target was someone else.

He couldn't believe how relaxed the security was around here, and it was all because the community thought the rogue shooter who targeted young women was captured and jailed. Oh how wrong they were, but it worked for him, made his job just a bit easier.

He placed his briefcase on an empty table and opened it; his gun in pieces seemed to smile up at him as if wanting to be used, to have his hands position them all in the right place so that they became one beautiful machine of death. He went to work quickly, having done this many times now, it was second nature. He could probably do it with his eyes closed if he had wanted to. Once finishing up and completing the rifle, he dragged a chair closer to the now opened window, finding a smaller table to rest his rifle on while aiming and then sat. He had some time to kill before the race began, so he took a cigar out of his breast pocket and lit it up, breathing in the flavorful substance. What a beautiful Saturday it was going to be.

Toboe and Morgan were sitting on one of the incredibly crowded bleachers. Morgan had offered to take her to a nice private box, but Toboe had wanted to be a part of the crowd, having been away from human contact for a while now. She liked being able to look around and see so many different faces having a nice time. The racers were all gathering to the starting line, pit crewmen running out and doing a double check on bikes before the race began. It was a rainbow of colors down there, making it easy for Toboe to find her own man she'd be rooting for; he was the only one in black.

Tsume was feeling his adrenaline pumping as everyone got into their lanes, the race would start shortly. All that was left was the sound of the gunshot. . .

The man with the rifle was searching through his scope for his target, finding the young woman sitting in the normal bleachers. Her reddish brown hair framed her face nicely; she was so small framed, that she could pass off as a young boy. This thought made the assassin stop, his mind rushing through a strange flashback.

A boy with the same hair, but it wasn't really a boy. No, it was a huge brown dog. . ."Wolf." The man spoke out loud to himself. Wolves. Why did the name of that animal make his heart race faster, his temper flare? He had been having these strange flashbacks for some time now, ever since he started killing the young women. It was nothing personal; he was paid good money to go out and stalk them, becoming better at his job with each kill. His employer had been very specific about this girl. Saying she needed to be out of the picture permanently. That she had been distracting his best motorcycle racer.

Either way it was none of Quent's business, he did what he was told, nothing more. He aimed his rifle on the girl, something at the back of his mind still bothering him. Maybe he had seen her before? Another random flashback hit him like a ton of bricks, making him drop the gun to the ground. He held his aching head as the pain of the strange memory flew across his mind.

It was snowing, and he was so tired. He heard something strange and turned with his gun at the ready. It was just that boy. . .who wasn't really a boy, he was a wolf. He told him to leave, he didn't want to really shoot him. All he wanted was to die in peace. Then suddenly there was another presence among them. A tall dark clad man, Quent knew this man was evil; Quent pointed his gun at him warningly. Suddenly things happened too fast, before he knew what had gone on the man had tried shooting at Quent but that damn wolf had jumped in front, taking the bullet! Quent's vision faded and he was back in the real world, kneeling on the ground still holding his head.

"Damn it!" He cursed at himself as he got up and took his gun. He positioned himself once more so that he was aimed on his target, a spasm shot through his body another damn flashback was about to happen! He lost control and pulled the trigger blindly.

The race started and Toboe instantly felt a weird sensation in her shoulder, she looked down and saw that blood was beginning to bleed through her shirt. What in the world? The blood was making her woozy, she leaned against the preoccupied Morgan. Morgan took a moment to take his eyes off the race and noticed that Toboe didn't look too good, her face seemed paler. That was also when he noticed the blood.

"What happened?" He asked, taking a hold of her to assess the wound. It was from a bullet. This made his eyes widen with fear as he began to help her up and take her down the long stairs towards the bottom. They needed to find cover if someone was going to try for a second shot.

"Really, I'm okay, just a little weak. Please don't upset Tsume with this." Toboe pleaded with the concerned manager.

"We need to get that looked at, and make sure who ever did it isn't waiting for an opportunity to take another shot at you." Morgan told her, heading toward the tent designated for medical emergencies.

Tsume had had a hard time at the beginning, but he had worked his way up to second and when they had one lap left, he'd caught up to the leader and when they both passed the finish line it was a photo finish. While waiting on the picture to confirm who won, Tsume expected his little group to come out and meet him. When they didn't he began to feel uncomfortable.

"Maybe they're having a hard time getting through the crowds." He thought to himself as they announced, that yes. Tsume was the winner! Loads of people came up and were congratulating him and still there was no sign of his manager or his love. After pushing his way through the excitable crowd, he made his way into the locker room, assuming that his friends would be waiting for him in there.

He had taken off his sweaty gear and showered by the time someone actually came for him. A messenger boy telling him his manager was waiting for him in the medical tent. With a curse Tsume hauled tail over to the white tent with the red cross on it. Morgan met him at the entrance.

"What happened?" Tsume demanded.

"She's okay, just a little lightheaded." Morgan began, knowing how Tsume's temper was. He hurriedly showed the anxious boyfriend where his wounded lover was waiting for him.

Quent had messed up big time. He was lucky to have made it out of the booth in time before security came looking for the mysterious shooter. These flashbacks were becoming more lifelike and dangerous. His boss was not going to be happy with him. He hurried away from the track; he'd find a place to hold up for a while before he went to get his ass handed to him by his employer.

"You've come at a bad time pal." Mark spoke anxiously to his rogue friend. He watched as Quent took off his hat and jacket, dropping his briefcase on the desk. He turned and sat down on the lawyer's office chair with a tired sigh.

"Look, I just need to lie low for a little while. Besides, what makes this a bad time for you? You rarely have clients let alone a social life." Quent questioned the nervous lawyer. He watched as the other man paced back and forth.

"Listen, I have a lady friend coming over any minute, and I would appreciate it if you would just go hide out in the back room while she's here. Okay?" Mark explained, stopping his constant pacing and stared down the amused Quent.

"Hey, don't let me stop you from having a good time. Besides, I could use a nap anyway." He got up and out of the chair, picking up his briefcase and opened the opposite door that would lead him into the back room. "Have fun pal." Quent winked and entered the other room, closing the door behind him.

Shortly after he had gone into the extra room, a knock was heard from the front door and Mark's footsteps shuffled hurriedly toward the door, letting in the tall dark skinned woman.

"Everything okay? You seem tense." Quent heard the voice of the female ask the lawyer.

"Oh fine, just been a tiring day." Mark down played his behavior. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Quent tried to lie down and close his eyes, but his ears could not stop listening in on their conversation.

"I've been thinking about your offer . . . from before. And I want to know. How much more would you be willing to pay me for. . ." She didn't finish her sentence; Quent figured Mark would know what she was getting at.

"That would depend on what you are willing to do."

After that sentence, all was silent for a very long time. Quent wondered if the girl had chickened out or something. Finally a sharp intake of breath was heard, a muffled sob. Quent couldn't help it; he looked out the small part of glass on the door and saw the woman in question for the first time. She had short dark hair, bronze skin, and incredible blue eyes. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn he knew this lady. It was her eyes that did it for him, they were so familiar.

"How much was that worth?" She asked, getting down to business.

Mark slipped out multiple bills out of his wallet and handed the cash to the woman. "Does that seem fair?" He asked.

Her surprised gasp made Quent assume it was more than fair. He watched as she gathered up her things quickly and headed for the door.

"Can you come again next week?" Mark asked. He received a simple nod from the woman and they both watched as she left the office in a hurry. Once she was gone Quent opened the door and slapped Mark halfheartedly on the back.

"That was a tall glass of water, she got a name?"

"Blue." Mark told him, Quent's head started to hurt at the mention of that name. The room began to spin as he found himself falling to the floor, his friend frantically trying to see what was wrong was the last image Quent remembered before blacking out.

Blue was very conflicted. She knew deep down what she was doing was wrong. Yet a little part of her kept saying that as long as the money she was making went to an honest cause; such as helping out with bills for the bakery, then she wasn't completely a bad person. She knew they were behind on a lot of bills lately, and that any other job would never pay as good or as quickly. As long as her heart wasn't involved in what she physically did, then she felt she wasn't exactly betraying anyone. At least that was what she would kept telling herself.

Myu was always so appreciative when Blue would hand over her hard earned cash. The relief on that woman's face was worth what Blue had to do to get the money she made. Myu tried very hard to hide the worry that came with being behind on so many payments, but Blue could see through the sad smiles.

As she made her way up the stairs to wash her mouth out, Blue wondered what Hige was up to. They hadn't had much time for one another lately, and she felt bad about it. He had seemed slightly distance, but maybe that was just her imagination. They had both been pretty tired lately, going to bed and just zonking out once their heads hit the pillows. Maybe tonight she'd try to make things a bit more exciting in the bedroom. Though it was hard to think about that with a slightly guilty conscience.

"You won, I'm so glad." Toboe smiled tiredly up at her sweetheart. Tsume's face was a mixture of emotions as he looked down at her bandaged shoulder.

"You were lucky he missed." Tsume spoke after a few moments of silence. "I don't even want to think about. . .When Morgan told me you'd been shot, it was the simulation all over again. I never want the pain of losing you like that again." He sank down and wrapped his arms around her, his voice raspy from trying not to cry.

Toboe hugged him back, tears slipping down her own face. She never had the chance to see him show such powerful emotions before, it was unsettling. She had been so accustomed to having him for the strong one, when now she was the one to hold him up and sooth his worries.

"I won't leave you again, not like that." Toboe promised, knowing that she really couldn't keep a promise like that, but hoping it would ease his mind.

"Let's go home; we need to figure out a few things. After this happening, I just don't know what to do to keep you safe anymore." Tsume spoke, the last part making his voice unsteady. Toboe's heart sank at this; she didn't want to be a caged bird again. She'd rather live her life to the fullest and take what would come than live a shell of a life stuck in their apartment. It was going to be an interesting conversation when they got home.

"You want me to live on a farm?" Toboe stammered, hoping she had head wrong.

"There will be fewer buildings for someone to hide in and aim for your head and less likely a chance for you to get kidnaped or anything else horrible. It's for the best." Tsume voiced his decision, watching as his girlfriend glared at him.

"I'm not a china doll that needs to be put on a pedestal, Tsume. You've no right to send me away like a misbehaving child! We're a couple, couples are supposed to be _together_."

"We won't be a couple if you die on me again!" Tsume blurted out, gripping Toboe's shoulders and shaking the girl slightly. "Don't you understand that what I am doing is going to save you?"

"More like pushing me away!" Toboe yelled back at him. "I love you Tsume, but if you're willing to just treat me like an object and not a person, I just. . ." She couldn't finish her sentence, but the look on his face let her know that he had understood where she was going.

"You'd break up with me because I care? Because I want to protect you from harm? After all we've been through?"

"I never said 'break up', just some time apart. I really can't deal with you treating me like this. How long did I sit in this apartment alone because of your need to keep me safe? I don't want to live like that again." Toboe tried to explain, getting a cold hurtful look from her lover.

"Where would you go? I'm the one who's been providing you with a roof over your head." Tsume argued. Toboe began to walk away from him and headed to their bedroom. She started gathering clothes together and putting them in a small bag.

"Toboe wait. I'm sorry I said that." Tsume apologized, taking his hands and placing them over her own, stopping her packing. "I'm just really upset right now; I don't want you to go."

Toboe looked up at that face she loved so much and tried to still be angry with him, but found it hard. "I'm not going to any farm." She informed him; Tsume nodded his head in agreement.

"What about a bodyguard?" Tsume asked her. Toboe thought about it for a moment, it would be better than the other alternatives.

"We can try it, but you're not one to easily trust just anyone. Won't it take some time to find a person for the job?"

"I rather take the time to search for a bodyguard than have you leave." Tsume kissed the top of her head; Toboe leaned into his warm body, enjoying a moment without negative words between them.


End file.
